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Well, to put it simply, it’s great! My time at neoco is nearly up and I do feel that I will be sad to go. I’m really glad that I have had this opportunity before I have finished my degree. ‘Why is that?’ I hear you ask…

I’ve just finished my second year at UCCA Epsom doing Graphics and Benn had done a presentation there about work experience and neoco. The agency looked really impressive, and seeing as it was a digital agency I didn’t think I had a chance to do an internship there, as I have no experience in new media. Nevertheless, I enthusiastically pursued an internship and was fortunate enough to win him over, and here I am, 4 weeks later and writing this blog. All I can say is I’m happy I got to do an internship here and not anywhere else…

Not only are they a nice, funny bunch of people, but they are really good at what they do too. They have taught me a lot during the time I have been here and made it a thoroughly enjoyable experience too. I’ve been active within the design process of real projects and included in brainstorms and client meetings. Not only that, but I haven’t made a cup of tea the whole time I’ve been here. (I bet I will once Benn reads this though!) Do you know how lucky that is? My friend, who is also doing a work placement at another agency, has been shoved in a corner on a Mac and left to her own devices all day. Whether or not I have been of any actual use to them during my time here, I don’t know. But I’m grateful that they recognized my eagerness to learn and that they gave me these chances.

Why don’t all students do work experience in their 2nd year? I suppose that the stereotypical answer is that they are too lazy and lack the initiative to try to find a place. But from my experience, I think that most students find the prospect of an internship quite daunting. It’s a brush with reality and a taste of life after uni which most of them try to avoid for as long as possible. The fact is, I feel that if I had left this opportunity any longer, I would have received a horrible shock and those who put off work experience are fooling themselves.

In my first week, I literally thought I was going to die. It was such a massive shock to the system. Having to get up early everyday, travel into central, work 8 hours and get home around 7.30pm couldn’t be further from the student way of life. I was exhausted. (No wonder so many people go on to do Masters.) If you think that sounds like hard work, the team here work even harder and still have the energy to go out and have fun on a Friday night. I found it got easier as time went by, but I really hate to think how my friends are going to cope when they do work experience. The longer they leave it the harder it is going to be for them, especially as employers are looking out for those who have taken the initiative to do work placements already and are constantly on the lookout for the most talented graduates.

Also, what is the point in doing a degree when so many students come out of university without the necessary skills to be employed into an agency in the first place? Tutors always say that it’s important not to be a ‘Mac monkey’ and it’s all about being creative. But I’ve learnt that, yes creativity is important, but it doesn’t matter how creative you are if you don’t have the skills to be able to implement your ideas then you are going to struggle. I thought that I was quite good on adobe programs before I came here, but I soon realised that I have a lot more to learn before I become anywhere near as good as Mark and LB. We haven’t been equipped with the knowledge to make the transition from education to work and you need to be motivated enough to teach yourself more than the basics.

That’s why it is so important for students to do work experience as soon as possible. University now seems like a cushioned bubble in comparison, and I’m just glad I got this insight now, before I have graduated. Leaving university completely naïve to what it’s really like in the working world, in the design industry, will leave you unaware about your real weaknesses. Students, including me, need to work harder if they realistically want to be of any use to an agency once they finish their degree. I’m just happy that I’ve been fortunate enough to discover this with another year of uni to go, to rectify my mistakes and to improve upon my weaknesses.

All I can hope is that my friends are lucky enough to work in a place like Neoco. It’s great to work somewhere where hard work is rewarded with cinnamon buns, you get to listen to music all day and play rock band at the end of a long week (and they don’t judge you even though you are rubbish at it.) It’s been fun and inspiring, but a real eye-opener too!

P.S. Good luck to Laura in whatever she might do in the future.